My lab is interested in understanding how the wound healing process influences tissue regeneration.  We employ two different model systems (cornea tissue and cartilage tissue) to investigate how changes in cell phenotype during wound healing can modulate tissue regeneration.  In either model system, wound healing processes involving the innate immune system, pro-inflammatory responses, and tissue remodeling enzymes, influence the quality and integrity of the regenerated tissue.  In the cornea model system my lab is collaborating with Professor Elizabeth Orwin (Harvey Mudd College, Claremont, CA), an expert in tissue engineering, to develop a viable, transparent corneal tissue that can serve as replacement tissue for diseased or damaged human corneas. An artificially created transparent cornea can address the need for corneal tissue transplants due to donor shortages, and would provide a model in which to study the effects of new ophthalmic drugs and laser treatments for vision correction.

• B.S. - California State University, Long Beach 
• Ph.D. - University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine

• Thompson RE, LC Boraas, M Sowder, MK Bechtel, and EJ Orwin. 2013. Three Dimensional Culture Environment Induces Partial Recovery of the Native Corneal Cell Phenotype from a Subcultured Population, Tissue Engineering, Part A, Feb., Epub ahead of print.
• CS Klein, A Clawson, M Martin, MJ Saunders, JA Flohr, MK Bechtel, W Dunham, M Hancock, and CJ Womack. 2012. The effect of caffeine on tennis skill performance in collegiate tennis players. J Caffeine Research, 2(3), 111-6.
• Womack CJ, MJ Saunders, MK Bechtel, DJ Bolton, M Martin, ND Luden, W Dunham, and M Hancock. 2012. The Influence of a CYP1A2 polymorphism on the ergogenic effects of caffeine. J International Soc of Sports Nutr. 9, 7-13.